Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. Boiselle: Previous studies have shown that women have a greater mortality benefit from lung cancer screening then men, and that this test (CT screening) is more cost-effective for women than men. Our purpose was to determine whether the relative risk of lung cancer for women and men differed depending on the specific type of lung nodule that was discovered at screening. Such differences could potentially help to influence a more personalized approach to patient management in lung cancer screening.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Boiselle: Women participants in the National Lung Screening Trial were 50% more likely than men to have a particular lung nodule consistency (ground glass), and such women were also at a significantly higher risk of developing a lung cancer then men with the same type of lung nodules.

Taken together with recent evidence showing that women have a greater mortality benefit from CT screening for lung cancer than men, and that this test is more cost-effective for women than for men, greater emphasis needs to be placed on educating women and their health care providers about the potential benefits of CT screening for women at high risk for lung cancer who meet eligibility criteria.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Boiselle: These findings will influence ongoing and future studies looking more carefully at lung cancers occurring in women with groundglass lung nodules, specifically with respect to their influence on lung cancer mortality. Such investigations may lead to sex-specific guidelines to ensure appropriate follow-up of women at increased risk for lung cancer with this subtype of lung nodule.

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